Yale Study Suggests Nicotine Pouches may help smokers cut back or quit

What Are Nicotine Pouches?

Nicotine pouches are small, white, tobacco-free packets that deliver nicotine through the lining of the mouth. A bit like a tiny tea bag, they’re tucked under the upper lip and release nicotine gradually, without smoke, vapour, or tobacco leaf content.

Unlike cigarettes, these products don’t combust and therefore do not produce thousands of harmful chemicals known to be in cigarette smoke.

How the study was conducted

Yale researchers recruited adult smokers who were not actively planning to stop smoking. This group had not recently used other nicotine replacement tools like patches or vapes. Participants were randomly assigned to try nicotine pouches over a short trial period. Researchers tracked their cigarette consumption and measured biomarkers for toxic exposure – a biomarker of exposure is a measurable sign in the body that you have been in contact with a substance.  An example of a biomarker might be something in your blood or it could be a change in blood pressure for example.

Key Findings: Reduced Smoking and Toxic Exposure

The study revealed several noteworthy outcomes:

• Reduced Cigarette Use: Many participants significantly lowered the number of cigarettes they smoked daily while using the pouches. Although all smokers didn’t fully switchthe reduction itself was seen as a positive behavioural shift.
• Lower Toxicant Exposure: Biomarker analysis showed a decrease in participants’ exposure to harmful chemicals commonly associated with cigarette smoke.
• User Acceptance: Most participants found the pouches easy to use.

For smokers who are not ready to stop using nicotine entirely, this research suggests that oral nicotine pouches might provide a stepping stone toward reducing reliance on cigarettes.

A New Tool in the Harm Reduction Toolbox

Quitting smoking is hard, and different things work for different people. This study shows that oral nicotine pouches might be one more option for those looking to cut down or switch. Pouches don’t involve smoke, they’re easy to use, and they might help reduce the harm from smoking.